Method and apparatus for feeding concrete and the like



1 Jung 21192 T. A. LONG ET! AL METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR FEEDING CONCRETE AND THE 1.1m

Filed March 25, 192 6 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 July 27,1926. 1,594,310

T. A. LONG El AL METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR FEEDING CONCRETE AND THE LIKE Filed March 25. 192's 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 UNITE STATES PATENT OFFICE.

THOMAS A. LONG, OF HAMMOND, INDIANA, AND WILLIAM MILLWARD, OF PITTS- BURGH, PENNSYLVANIA.

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR FEEDING CONCRETE AND THE LIKE.

Application filed March 25, 1926. Serial No. 97,278.

This invention is directed to a method and apparatus for feeding concrete and the like material to molds, particularly in the molding of articles such as building blocks and tiles.

Concrete is generally supplied to mold boxes through the agency of a hoe or bottomless feed box the effect of which is to mass the material in that region of the mold box nearest the source of supply; and sometimes use is made of a kicker or flipper, which system depends upon velocity to distribute the material over the horizontal area of the mold. The practice in either case is slow and awkward and the dis tribution is far from regular.

The object of our invention is to provide for feeding concrete at a regulated rate and to insure its uniform distribution.

The nature of the invention consists in a systematized incremental feeding of the material to the mold, by establishing beyond the latter and in the path of the tampers or ramming instrumentalities in excess of that required by the mold, and utilizing the rise and fall of the tampers to supply, in a uniform and regulated rate, the increments required to fill the mold and complete the ob jective block or tile. Not only does the system provide for an even and regular distribution of material, it also insures thorough tamping action.

A simple embodiment of means for carrying out the method is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein,-

Fig. 1 is a view in elevation showing the improved feeding means.

Fi 2 is an enlarged vertical section through the feed box and mold, the box being shown in feeding position.

Fig. 3 is a plan of the feed box and hopper.

Fig. 4 is a plan, and Fig. 5 sectional view of a feed or charging box used with a mold having vertical cores.

Fig. 6 is a view in section showing the improved charging box having a separable mold scraping section. r

Fig. 7 is a transverse section of the same.

Fig. 8 is a broken sectional view of the charging box, showing the means for adjusting the holding relation of the bridge elements.

is a vertical Fig. 9 is a perspective view of a block formed in the mold shown in Fig. 1.

The charging box of this invention, in the form illustrated in Figs. 1, 2, and 3, is of hollow rectangular form, open at top and bottom with the end walls 1 and side walls 2 inclined inwardly and downwardly. The box is designed for cooperation with and charging the material into a mold 3, and for this purpose is moved from beneath a hopper 4t, through which the material is delivered to the charging box, to a position over the mold. The charging box is guided in this movement on rollers 5 with which auxiliary side walls 6 of the box cooperate, lever mechanism ,7 reciprocating the box from receiving to charging positions. In its filling position beneath the hopper the bottom of the box is closed by a plate 8.

In ordinary methods of feeding it is practically impossible to distribute the material to the mold with any degree of regularity, and to secure uniform feeding recourse has been had to various devices of more or less complicated nature. It is the purpose of the present invention to provide a method and means for so controlling the feed as to insure not only even distribution but also periodic incremental feeding coordinated with camping.

In accordance with our inventive thought, we provide a skeleton charging box embodying a frame and plurality of bridges 9, constituted of inverted V-shaped metallic sections. The bridges, in connection with the mold shown in Fig. 1, extend throughout the length of the charging box, and are of a height materially less than the similar dimension ofthe box. Owing to the form of the bridges and the end walls of the charging box there is provided between adjacent bridges and the end walls of the box a series of feeding passages 10, which narrow materially in the direction of feed. As a result of the upward flare of the feeding or delivery passages, material supplied to the charging box is suspended or bridged.

The bridging elements 9, being arranged above the cores 11 in the mold and intermediate the respective lines of travel of the tampers 12, it is apparent that as the tampers are operated, the bridged masses of material will be broken and portions thereof Fig. 8. In

forced into the mold and tamped. Then as the tampers rise the bridges will reestablish themselves, although it will be evident that some loose material will be fed in the Wake of the tampers.

In Figs. 4 and 5 the charging box is shown as designed for use in connection witha mold in which the cores are arranged vertically instead of horizontally, as in Fig. 1. In this modified form the material bridging elements 13 are of truncated form with their sides 14 sloping reversely to the sides and ends of the to define charging passages 15, similiar' to the passages in the preferred form. The elements 18 in the niodilied form are secured to the lower edges of plates 16, which snugly lit in the upper portion of the charging box and support the metallic bridges in proper posit-ion.- Obviously the outline form of the lower end of the metallic bridges 13 may be made to agree with the end View of the core employed, thereby permitting openings of any desired out-line in the completed block. In this form the tampers operate as in the pretel-red form,- the method of supportin the material in. the charging box being identical with that shown in Fig. l.

f for any reason, as for example in the use of a finer grade of material, it is desirable or expedient to reduce the capacity of passages 10, auxiliary bridges 17 may be provided of size and shape in such correspondence with the bridges 9, as shown in other words,- that bridging of the material may be varied by varying the number of auxiliary bridges or by varying their gage or section.

In molding blocks or the like it may be found desirable to provide for scraping any excess material from the top of the mold, and for this purpose the invention contemplates the provision of a scraper box 18, having" downwardly and inwardly inclined walls 19 and adapted to be movec'l into a position over the mold, and intermediate the mold and improved charging box. The scraper box has a solid extension 20 forming a bottom for the charging box as it is moved beneath the hopper l to receive material, and the charging box has an extension 21 serving to close the bottom of the hopper when the charging box is in mold charging position. Wheie the scraper box is used it remains above the mold until the completion of the article within the mold, the charging box being meanwhile moved from the hopper to the mold a sufficient number of times to charge the mold with the proper amount of -'n'1aterial. After completion of the molded article the scraper box may be moved from the top of the mold to scrape the excess material from such mold and return it to the source of supply.

The term of block to be molded in the type shown in Fig. 1 is illustrated in Fig. 9. it being understood that the openings extend entirely through the block, though this of course, as Well as the form of the openings, are immaterial in the present invention. Obviously the metall c bridges may have their side walls inclined relatively and longitudinally, so that the bridges may be wider at one end than at the other. The tampers 12 are of course, to be of form best 'itted for tamping the particular article, the shape of the tampers being wholly immaterial so long as they avoid Contact with the metallic bridges.

Having described our claim 1. The method of delivering concrete to mold boxes, which consists in establishing a mass of concrete above the mold and in the path of the ramming instrumei'italiti'es, and utilizing the latter to distribute the material to the mold box at a uniform and regulated rate.

The method of delivering concrete to mold boxes, which consists in establishing bridges of concrete material beyond the mold box and in the line of travel of the tampers, and utilizing the latter to supply the material to the mold box in incremental stages.

3 The method of delivering concrete to mold boxes, which consists in establishing bridges of concrete material beyond the mold box and in the line of travel of the tampers, and utilizing the latter to feed the mold box with material trimmed from the bridges, the system being such that the bridging is restored after each recession of the tampers 4. The method of delivering concrete to mold boxes, which consists in providing a mass of concrete material, in excess of that required for the mold, and supporting it in spaced bridges relative beyond the mold box and in the line of travel of the tampers, and utilizing the latter to disperse the bridges at a uniform and regulated rate.

'5, The method of controlling the feeding and securing the even distribution of material to molds from charging boxes, consisting in dividing the outlet from the box into a series of passages of such form that the material will inherently bridge and be prevented from substantially self discharge therethrough, and causing the tampers to penetrate the bridged masses to feed the mold box in incremental stages.

'6, The herein described method of feeding material to molds for tamping therein, consisting in forming the delivery passages to the mold to cause an inherent bridging of the material against gravital delivery, utilizing the tamping operation to break the bridge and permit delivery of material through the tamping break into the mold invention, we

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following the withdrawal of the tamper and until the breaks are again bridged.

7. A charging box tor mold, inverted V- shaped bridging members to be arranged in such box, and other similar members to cooperate With said bridging members to vary the effect of such bridging members.

8. A charging box for molds, bridging members of inverted V-form arranged in such box, and similar V-shaped members to be interfitted with the bridging members.

9. In combination With a mold box, a source of concrete supply, means for supporting bridges of concrete above the mold box, and tampers adapted and arranged to penetrate the bridges to effect incremental feeding of the mold box.

10. In combination With a mold box, a source of concrete supply, means for sup porting bridges of concrete above the mold box, tampers adapted and arranged to penetrate the bridges to effect incremental feeding of the mold box, and means for selectively controlling the degree of bridging action to regulate the rate of feed.

In testimony whereof We aflix our signatures.

THOMAS A. LONG. WILLIAM MILLWARD. 

